Dear Parrots magazine,
Breeding Ringnecks
I was interested to read the letter from Harry Leese regarding my reply to a query on breeding Ringnecks in the November 2012 issue. It is good to know that someone can successfully breed Ringnecks on the colony system! I would however never advise first time breeders of Ringnecks to breed several pairs in a colony, as I feel it would need a very experienced breeder to be able to notice any hint of aggression or upset between the birds, before it got out of hand.
I used to breed various colours of these birds but always kept one pair to one large flight for safety. One thing to be borne in mind is the flight and housing size available to the Ringnecks. Many people have far less space than Harry to offer their birds and I feel there would be squabbles if there was more than one pair in a smaller area than the 1.85m x 1.2m (6ft x 4ft) shed and a 3.65m x 1.85m (12ft x 6ft) flight Harry offers to his breeding pairs.
Ringnecks are very active birds and need space to fly, this is in their nature, and I feel my advice to breed Ringnecks one pair to a flight was right when aimed at the amateur hobbyist, who may not fully understand the birds' needs.
Muriel Barnes by email